"Alonewalk"
Featuring "Good Friday" – the duet with Cathal Coughlan
Available on iTunes, 1969records.com, and Record Shops Nationwide
www.dave-couse.com
Spare, but beautifully recorded and played, this, by anyones standard, marks a departure for Dave Couse as an artist. With an entirely new palatte of sounds, the songs are a heady meditation on life and love and loss. Following "The World Should Know" (2005), Dave raced back into the studio, and after a Blue Nilesque recording session re-emerged with the majestic "Alonewalk". Mastered by the beyond legendary Bob Ludwig….go on wiki him…anyone who has heard this album has been raving about it. Now its your turn. enjoy!!
"Alonewalk" is the third album released by Dave Couse since the break up of A HOUSE, his second on the Irish Indie label 1969 Records. Originally given an online release back on Good Friday April 2nd, the album now gets it's commercial release in all good record shops nationwide on Oct.1st, 2010.
NICK KELLY ~ IRISH INDEPENDENT
“Couse has returned, Phoenix-like, with — shout it from the rooftops — the finest album of his career. No, really. Released on 1969 Records, Alonewalk is a total revelation — the songs are written in a more classical mode, with nuanced cello (courtesy of Rike Soller) and electric guitar (courtesy of A House alumnus Fergal Bunbury) embroidering Couse’s evocative, soulful piano melodies.”
TONY CLAYTON-LEA ~ IRISH TIMES
“… so much here is the work of a singular songwriter getting to grips (as is his wont) with nitty-gritty subjects in a reflective, almost sombre (but always compelling) manner”
JOHN MEAGHER ~ IRISH INDEPENDENT
“… a pair of songs, ‘Black and White’ and ‘Don’t say a word’ are as good as anything he’s written, but the Standout song is ‘Good Friday’. With just eight tracks, ‘alonewalk’ doesn’t outlast its welcome and it’s a collection to reward the patient listener.”
COLM O'HARE ~ HOT PRESS
“Dave Couse’s place in the pantheon of great Irish songwriters is assured. His first solo album in five years finds him in a mellow, introspective mood blending classical song structures with pop, post rock and even doo-wop. The songs range from the poignant, elegiac beauty of ‘what will become of us’ and ‘don’t say a word’ to the melodically quirky ‘Good Friday’ which features another singularly unique Irish voice in Cathal Coughlan.”
NIALL CRUMLISH ~ STATE.IE
“…I’m conscious of the absurdity of comparing Dave Couse to Beethoven. I have just spent two weeks with "Alonewalk" and it is such a thrilling and mysterious and moving record that, for now, the comparison stands.”
Monday 6th September, 2pm – 4.30pm
University of Ulster, York Street Campus, Belfast
Admission Free – Register – www.ffwdni.com/skills
SXSW (Austin, Texas) and MIDEM (Cannes, France) are the two most important showcasing, deal striking and networking events in the international music industry.
MIDEM is widely recognised as the principle annual international music industry conference, showcase and trade fair in Europe, attracting over 9,500 music industry and media professionals from over 100 countries, representing every musical genre.
SXSW is the most significant industry showcase event in the USA with over 1500 international artists showcasing before more than 8500 industry and media delegates from 5 continents. The conference and festival are career-shaping events presenting a surfeit of opportunities for music entrepreneurs and artists.
On Monday 6th September, FFWD will host a special event that will give Northern Ireland ‘creatives’ and businesses a chance to find out all about the opportunities these important events can offer. The seminar will include presentations by SXSW and MIDEM and will also provide those attending with the opportunity to speak directly to the event representatives.
Guest speakers at the event will include: Una Johnson (SXSW), Javier Lopez (MIDEM) and Phil Patterson (UK Trade and Investment)
The event is free of charge – if you would like to register your interest in attending this event visit: www.ffwdni.com/skills
THE SAW DOCTORS/// ‘TAKIN’ THE TRAIN’ is the NEW SINGLE OUT AUGUST 20TH
Taken from the new studio album ‘The Further Adventures of The Saw Doctors’ out Sept 10th
"One year is becoming hard to sustain for modern bands trying their hand in the music business nowadays, so it is that little bit more impressive to know that in the past 20 years The Saw Doctors have emerged as one of the most successful Irish rock bands since U2. With a list of Chart success on numerous songs over the years such as well known favourites: ! N17”, “I Useta Lover”, and more recently a cover of SUGABABES “About You Now”, (note that The Sugababes’ original version of About You Now stalled at No. 2 in the Irish Chart while The Saw Doctors reached No. 1!) plu! s many more, have helped The Saw Doctors maintain their defiant musical stance on the scene. Takin The Train has already been described as 'Essential Listening' and an 'amplified, rock/pop tune that already sounds like a classic'. It instantly draws you in, with a roaring guitar intro and slapping drums. Here is Irelands finest back in absolute TOP form".
Irish dates just Announced:
The band play a host of gigs over the next few months including V Festival, and Irish Dates below:
THE SAW DOCTORS – IRISH SHOWS 2010
Friday August 27
TUAM, CO. GALWAY
Arts Festival Marquee
New Album Showcase Concert
Tickets: €20 plus charges
On Sale August 3
Saturday August 28
TUAM, CO. GALWAY
Arts Festival Marquee
New Album Showcase Concert
Tickets: €20 plus charges
On Sale August 3
Friday December 31
Co. MAYO , CASTLEBAR
TF Royal Theatre
Info: +353 (0) 94 9023111
Box Office: 0818 300 000
http://www.ticketmaster.ie
2010 and here is a band withstanding the odds of the current music age, who still know how to recreate and procreate the tunes that put them were they are now = part of Irelands elite, well-known and most loved bands of the past two decades. And they are only getting warmed up for round three!
To find out more gig dates, please visit The Saw Doctors Online:
DATE: 31st August 2010 TIME: 8.30pm, pre-concert talk 8pm VENUE: Kevin Barry Room, National Concert Hall, Dublin
This August 31st the Irish Composers’ Collective proudly present the renowned Balkan band Yurodny to premiere the latest works that have emerged from the talented compositon pool of the organisation. Featuring music written by D. E. McCarthy, Francis Heery, Matthew Whiteside, Amanda Feery, Dennis Wyers and Yurodny’s own Adrian Hart this will be an exciting event not be missed.
The Irish Composers’ Collective is a non-profit organisation that aims to provide Irish composers with a community for information, education and the pooling of resources in order to create concerts of their music with professional musicians.
Tickets €12 and €10 (student ID must be presented to obtain discount) may be purchased from the National Concert Hall Box Office online at www.nch.ie , in person or by telephone +353 (0)1 4170000.
The new era of peace in Ireland will be heralded in loudly and proudly at this year’s 60th All-Ireland Fleadh in Cavan town, where top trad music performers from around the world will be entertaining the crowds throughout the week on a special outdoor stage sponsored by the Peace III funding programme.
With its border proximity, Cavan is ideally placed to extend the hand of friendship across all historical divides as it prepares to welcome well over 200,000 visitors to Fleadh 2010 — and the European peace programme is helping the town to do exactly that, as it supports an exciting line-up of outdoor performances featuring a host of international acts, culminating with Ireland’s own queen of the accordion, Sharon Shannon.
The hands-across-borders idea is yet another innovation being introduced by Cavan to the All-Ireland Fleadh, and it will see a prominent, state-of-the-art outdoor stage — the Peace III Gig Rig — providing free, all-day entertainment throughout the Fleadh at the Egg Market, just off one of the town’s main thoroughfares.
For five days on the trot, thousands of Fleadh goers will be treated to shows by bands and musicians from a multitude of cultural backgrounds, topped off with what’s sure to be a lightening hot show from Sharon Shannon, who is one of the top ambassadors for Irish music on a global stage.
Funded to the tune of €20,000 by the European Peace III Programme, the Gig Rig will see to it that the very air in Cavan is alive with music, song and dance from many traditions, right through from Wednesday 18th August to Sunday 22nd.
Integral to that will be the linking up of this island’s own two great traditions, as Comhaltas Ceoltóiri Éireann’s flagship festival seeks to build bridges and break down any barriers that had been erected in the past.
Indeed, those were the very sentiments of Senator Labhrás Ó Murchú, the Director General of Comhaltas, as he underlined idea of a shared musical heritage, a theme that will be at the heart of the Fleadh.
A UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE
“I’ve always seen music as a universal language. It’s the music that built bridges for us throughout the difficult times in the North of Ireland,” was how Senator Ó Murchú put it at the recent media launch of Fleadh 2010. “The music belongs to all the traditions on this island,” he added.
Looking forward to the big event itself, which takes place from 16th–22nd August, the Ardstiúrthóir predicted that it would bring people of all age groups, classes, and political persuasions together for what would be a great celebration of the “rich cultural traditions of Ireland”.
With the peace process firmly embedded in Northern Ireland, and former enemies now working hand in hand for the good of all, Fleadh 2010 is seeking to enthusiastically embrace the new era.
As the name suggests, the Gig Rig will reflect the cross-community aspirations of the peace programme And the focus on celebrating shared traditions will go global on the Peace III stage on Thursday 19th, when Italian band WilloS’ headline a World Music Night.
Cavan Co Manager Jack Keyes, who is also the chairperson of Fleadh 2010, summed it up at the recent media launch in Dublin when he noted that Cavan’s location as a border county was important in terms of its hope to use the music “in a structured way, to try and create further unity between our peoples”.
GIG RIG PROGRAMME
The Peace III shows get going at 2pm on Wednesday 18th when ‘Folk from Orkney’, made up of singer Ingirid Jolly, fiddle player Laura Lockyer, and multi-instrumentalist Owen Tierney will have the honour of being the first act of many throughout the week.
From that point on, the big open air stage will be alive with performances, more or less at all times, right up until the Senior Céilí Band winners and a fireworks display rounds it off on the Sunday night.
In between, the crowds will have enjoyed acts from near and far and from backgrounds as varying as can be. Keeping the pot boiling on Wednesday will be dancing schools from Co Cavan, the NYAH Cross-Border Cross-Community Traditional Band, the Hayworth Arts Group — including UK folk singer Maggie Boyle, who teams up with home-for-the-Fleadh guitarist Paul Jermyn for a set of songs — and the superb band WilloS’ from Italy.
Thursday’s “World Music Day” will culminate in a three-hour show, headlined again by the hi-energy Italian five-piece, and featuring top acts like Rí Ra from the Czech Republic, masterful traditional fiddler Marco Fabbri from Italy, the above mentioned Folk From Orkney, the USA’s harmonica wizard Don Meade, and the Swiss four-person combo known as Nustalgic Folk.
Also featuring on both days and in other Gig Rig spots during the week will be the ‘NYAH Cross-Border Cross-Community Traditional Band Co Cavan,’ which promises to have a great interaction with the crowds and boasts a great line-up of guests including Seana Agnew from Antrim (fife and flute), multi-instrumentalists Tim and Lucy Moon of the UK’s Haworth Arts Group, Cathal Lynch, a great traditional singer from Tyrone, UK fiddler Mary Keady, mouth organ man Don Meade from the States and flute maestro Eugene Teevan from the UK.
Irish dancing schools from Co Cavan will be strutting their stuff on stage throughout the Wednesday and Thursday and on into the weekend. Starting at 12 noon, Thursday’s show will also see Cavan stalwarts Antóin Mac Gabhann (fiddle) and Seamus Fay (lilting and songs) on stage, along with acts like the St Louis CCE band from USA, and the king of the flute himself, Fermanagh man Laurence Nugent, who returns from Chicago to take the Peace III stage at about 4.30pm.
The party atmosphere will reach a high point when the Street Pageant arrives at the Gig Rig, signalling the start of a show from the Peace III dance group ‘Doors of Life Under One Umbrella’, who swing into motion at around seven bells. Plenty to get the masses ready for the World Music Night Concert from 8pm-11pm!
FOCAL POINT
The Peace III Gig Rig will continue to be a Fleadh focal point throughout the weekend, with performances on Friday, Saturday and Sunday starting from midday or before. The great fiddler Tommy Peoples will be in action at 3.30pm on Friday, after warm-up shows from the NYAH cross-border, cross-community Traditional Band (with many of the special guests listed above) and more toe tapping from the Co Cavan Irish Dancing Schools.
At about 6 o’clock Cavan Town CCE will set the scene for the big ‘Official Welcome & Canaimis Let’s Sing’, featuring the legendary Seán Ó Sé, Ard Ollamh of Fleadh 2010 from 7pm–8pm. If that doesn’t let everyone know there’s something happening in town, lively sets from Ceol Coolroe CCE, the Farrelly School of Dancing and more will leave nobody in doubt. The evening finishes with great tunes from another great Cavan box player as Donal Reilly and the Hand Me Down the Tackle band keep the show on the road till 11pm.
The Peace III Gig Rig will be alive for over 12 hours on Saturday, starting off with Nustalgic Folk from Switzerland at 11am, and featuring a whole host of acts including WilloS’ from Italy and the great Dublin-based singer and bouzouki player Daoirí Farrell and his band, who plays for an hour in the afternoon and headlines later on, from 10.15pm – 11.30pm.
RTÉ’s Céilí House, with the irrepressible Kieran Hanrahan at the helm, will be making a live broadcast from the Gig Rig from 9pm – 10pm on Saturday, while a new book and CD, ‘Cuimhneachán Ceoil’ from Dublin fiddle player Pat O’Connor will have been launched on stage at 6pm.
SHARON SHANNON SHOW
Sunday 22nd will bring with it high point of the Gig Rig shows, when Sharon Shannon’s Acoustic 4-Piece Band hit the stage at 9 o’clock — for a two-hour performance that would raise the roof if there was one! The band is made up Sharon herself on the accordion, with plenty support from guitarist Jim Murray, fiddler Dezi Donnelly and the unmatched banjo man Gerry O’Connor — all ace musicians at the very top of their game.
Other great performers will have kept the show on the road throughout the day, including the Dave Sheridan Leitrim Trio, led by the red hot Dave on flute, the Dartry Céilí Band from Sligo, and harpist Laoise Kelly, playing a duet with uilleann pipes genius Tiarnán Ó Duinnchinn.
The Marching Band Exhibition and Performance will also be held in front of the Gig Rig at about 5pm in what should be another great spectacle of colour and pageant. Apologies to the bands, but big as the rig is, they just couldn’t fit on the stage itself!
As the Gig Rig prepares to wind up on Sunday night, a long list of talented performers from many countries and backgrounds will have walked its boards, leading up to what will be a fabulous show by Sharon Shannon.
But the night will still be young, even when Sharon’s band leave the stage at 11pm, as two veterans of the music, Ard Ollamh Seán Ó Sé and Fleadh 2010 President Seamus Fay get set to perform some songs and lilts with the help of Fintan McManus on guitar and Cavan’s own Martin Donohoe on the box. Joining in will be the Peace III Dance Group, ‘Doors of Life Under One Umbrella’
The winners of the Senior Céilí Band competition will no doubt be in celebratory mood when they finish the night off with some tunes, as the fireworks display closes a great week’s live music without borders on the Peace III Gig Rig in Cavan.
This year’s national Un-Convention event promises to be the biggest and best yet. Taking influence from Un-Convention events around the world and inviting some of the most inspirational and influential figures from the global grassroots music scene – this year will use Un-Conventional spaces – including a barge, Salford Lads Club, Chapel Street venues – Sacred Trinity Church, Islington Mill, Salford Central Station; and explore new and cutting edge issues around music, technology and creativity.
We have so far confirmed that Bill Drummond, Roisin Murphy, Jarvis Cocker, Martin Atkins, Jon McClure, Brian Travers, Billy Bragg, Kevin Cummins and Don Letts will be doing unusual and interesting things in the most unexplored places in the City. We will also host a travelling circus; music photography on buildings; very special interactive performances in unusual spaces around Salford and a brass band opening the event.
The panel programme features: Andrew Dubber (New Music Strategies), Aki Nawaz (Fundamental), Steve Lawson, Scott Cohen (The Orchard), Jason Singh, Cilla Baynes (Community Arts NW), Vijay Nair (OML India), Martin Giraldo (La Capsula, Colombia), Lykle de Vries (New Music Labs, Netherlands), John Robb, Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly.
Panel content includes; ‘the politicisation of music’; ‘a digital day on a barge’; ‘music as a tool for social change’; ‘do it together’, ‘bands and brands’, ‘building a sustainable career in music’ and ‘we fought the law’.
Music from Roisin Murphy, Billy Bragg, Reverend Soundsystem, Gabby Young and Other Animals performing with Eccles Borough Brass Band, Kid British, Silverclub, Jah Wobble, The Beating Wing Orchestra, The Unabombers, The Whip DJs, Young Fathers, Paul Green, King Capisce, Joe Kriss, The Janice Graham Band, Phillious Williams, Caro Snatch, Naomi Kashiwagi and Matthew Krysko, Mendiamler, Debt Records Stage and Coupe De Ville… plus many more.
Plus a very special one off performance with Jon McClure, Martin Atkins, Jah Wobble, Jarvis Cocker, The BBC Philharmonic and performers from DR Congo, Poland, Colombia, Brazil, Africa and more places around the world.
Music nights curated by BBC Introducing, Helmets for Men, Debt Records and Now Then Magazine.
Background
Salford based music industry event, Un-Convention is a global grassroots music event and community – that meets physically and virtually to share ideas; discuss and debate cutting edge issues around music, technology and creativity; and facilitates members engagement with their peers. Un-Convention is not about the business of music. The community is driven by a not for profit initiative that sees opportunity for the grassroots in the changes to the way music is being produced, consumed and sustained.
Starting as an alternative to mainstream music events around the world – Un-Convention was first held in Salford in October 2008. Two years on and 11 events later, Un-Convention has grabbed the attention of the global grassroots music community and now has events taking place in India, Colombia, Brazil, Australia, Spain, Germany, USA, Iceland – each event carrying the overall Un-Convention ethos, but each driven by it’s local grassroots music scene and infrastructure. All being coordinated from Salford with instigators around the globe.
In September 2010 the Popkomm international music conference which takes place in Berlin will once again provide the impetus for the sale and distribution of music products as well as serving as a high profile venue for presentations by new artists from all over the world and for new music. One month prior to its start Popkomm, the international platform for the music business, is almost completely sold out. According to Dr. Ralf Kleinhenz, General Manager of Popkomm GmbH: “All available space at Gate A2, where the lounges of the music export offices are located, has already been taken. Just a few square metres are still available at Gate A1, whose exhibitors include DMV (German Music Publishers’ Federation), a wide range of individual companies and GEMA (Society for Musical Performance and Mechanical Reproduction Rights). Due to the massive demand we are endeavouring to find additional space.” And Daniel Barkowski, Director of Popkomm, adds: “Popkomm is attracting enormous interest! We are experiencing keen demand from companies seeking to establish international networks and international business links.”
Full details on all the Irish acts showcasing at Popkomm 2010 will be available on www.musicfromireland.org in the coming days.
Berlin Music Week takes place from 6 to 12 September 2010: It is one-week international industry meeting and market place, congress and live music experience. All over Berlin. For music fans and the professionals. The international business platform Popkomm, the all2gethernow congress, the Berlin Festival and the industry networks Berlin Music Commission and Clubcommision Berlin have joined forces under the umbrella of the Berlin Music Week.
Gorey Educate Together Primary School invites submissions from composers/musical dramatists for the composition and implementation of a work of musical theatre. (Minimum duration: 30 minutes.)
The storyline should be compelling. The presentation should be novel and entertaining. Thereafter, the commissioners are particularly interested to receive proposals that embrace the Educate Together ethos and stimulate positive, inclusive, respectful and supportive school environments. The work should be informed by the context of this school.
The full brief, along with photographs and up-to-date school news can be found on the award-winning website: www.goreyeducatetogether.ie. The publication ‘What is an Educate Together National School?’ is available at www.educatetogether.ie The total budget for this commission is €30,000 inclusive of all costs, expenses, VAT, insurance and other charges, (Per Cent for Art Scheme – funded by the Department of Education & Skills.)
Culture Night will take place on Friday 24th September when streets, venues and open spaces will come alive with colour, music, performance and workshops providing people with an opportunity to experience vast and rich cultural events. This year, Culture Night is spreading to 20 towns, cities and counties across Ireland.
IMRO will be taking part in the events for the first time this year, and to mark the occasion, we are inviting proposals from IMRO members for an event to be hosted at IMRO for the night.
All submissions are welcome as long as they are relevant to the creation of music. Proposals can be for live performance and/or interactive or non interactive installations. IMRO will be providing the use of our Member Area for the evening.
Proposals should be forwarded to membership@nullimro.ie no later than Thursday 12th August.
The IMRO member(s) whose proposal is chosen will need to be available in the days preceding the event, and for the day and evening of Friday 24th September, to co-ordinate the event.
World-first competition will put 10 musicians’ work onto the silver screen
Music video site MUZU.tv is offering musicians from all over the world the chance to be a part of film history. Launching today, Soundtraxs is the first-ever competition that gives independent music artists the opportunity to create the soundtrack for a major motion picture.
Soundtraxs is the brainchild of British independent production company NyAC and will see entrants compete online for their music to feature on the soundtrack of the hotly-anticipated new film Relative Desire by BAFTA award-winning director Michael Baig Clifford, starring Imogen Poots (Fright Night, 28 Weeks Later, V for Vendetta) and Harry Treadaway (Fish Tank, Control, Brothers of the Head).
Entrants simply download any of the movie scenes available on http://www.MUZU.tv/Soundtraxs, sync the video with an original music track and upload to MUZU.tv. The competition is free to enter and the top 50 tunes (ranked by the public according to the number of views on MUZU.tv, ratings and comments, tweets on Twitter and plays on social networks such as
Facebook) will then be considered by an expert panel who will choose the final 10 tracks to appear in the film. Winners will also:
• Re-record their track in a professional studio
• Receive a sync fee covering use of their music in the movie, Relative
Desire
• Receive revenue from the movie soundtrack album
“Soundtraxs is a world first. It’s a fantastic opportunity for artists of all levels and genres to get their music heard on one of the biggest stages possible. A movie soundtrack is usually the preserve of established artists only, but this project is helping to break down those barriers. In addition, by simply entering the competition and uploading their music to MUZU, artists have the potential to make some money from their recordings too" – Ciaran Bollard, C.E.O and co-founder of MUZU
Soundtraxs Judges
Michael Baig Clifford
Michael first attracted attention with his BAFTA nominated short ‘Bouncer’ starring Ray Winston, which was quickly followed by his Bafta winner ‘Brown Paper Bag’ ,written by award winning writer Geoff Thompson. He won his second BAFTA for ‘Think About it’ and an RTS award for his work in television where he has directed documentaries and several episodes of 'Doctors'. Relative Desire is his first feature film.
Ian Seymour
Ian began on award winning film drama like Four Weddings, Secrets and Lies and Donnie Brasco, where he learnt his craft working with some of the industry’s most distinguished and successful directors. Editing in his own right for some years now, Ian is increasingly busy in the UK, the US and South Africa. Recent credits include BAFTA winning 'In Bruges'; and The Proposition staring Ray Winston.
Hywell Evans
Competition Entry
To enter, users must visit http://www.MUZU.tv/Soundtraxs and download any of the movie scenes provided. The clips can be downloaded by right-clicking and hitting ‘Save As’ whilst watching any of the scenes. To sync the entry track with the video, entrants can use free packages such as 'Windows Movie Maker' for PC and 'iMovie' for Mac. Entries can be uploaded by clicking 'Enter Now' on the Soundtraxs homepage.
